Air-ship.



PATBNTED 1111111.10, 1903.

E. P. JOHNSTON.

AIR SHIP.

APPLIGATION FILED 0011s, 1894.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

N0 MODEL.

No. I722,516. A PATENTED MAR. 10, 1903.. l

E. P. JOHNSTON.

AIR SHIP.

APLIGATION FILED QGT.18, 1894.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

No. 722,516. Y PATENTBD MAB.. 10, 1903. E. P. JOHNSTON.

AIB. SHIP.

APPLIOATION FILED 00T. 18. 1894.

N0 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

W itnesses.

ma Nonms PE rens co. Fumo-nwo.. wAswxNnToN, u. c.

PATENT OFFICE.

EDVARD PAYSON JOHNSTON,

OF HIGHLANDS, COLORADO.

AIR-SHIP.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent N0. 722,51 6, dated March 10, 1903.

Application filed October 18, 1894.

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Beit known that I, EDWARD PAYsoN J o HN- STON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Highlands, in the county of Arapahoe and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Ships; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to aerial navigation, and particularly to that class of air-ships which are elevated and sustained in the air by a series of elongated gas-holders in combination with lifting propeller-wheels and also by the pressure of the atmosphere against an inclined plane when propelled against it by driving-propellers. The ship is further maintained in its normal position and direction by a series of equilibriumpartitions, some upright and others extending laterally. It is in some respects similar to the air-ship shown and described in my Patent No. 388,889, upon which the present invention is designed as an improvement.

In the drawings, Figure l isa plan View of my air-ship. Fig. 2 is a vertical side elevation, partly in section, showing the ship supported upon a Wheeled car. Fig. 3 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of one of the curtain-brakes. Fig. 4 is an elevation of the lower corner of the hull and the bottom of the adjacent equilibrium-partition, showing the yielding sills. Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of a portion of one of the gas-receptacles. Fig. 6 is a section of the aeroplane. Fig. 7 is a perspective view. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the gas-holders and their connecting pipes and pumps.

The same letters indicate like parts in all the figures.

The hull A of the air-ship is rectangular in cross-section and also in longitudinal section, except that both ends of the hull are wedgeshaped, the thin edges standing vertically. The hull is provided with suitable doors and windows and contains the machinery for actuating the propelling and lifting wheels or Serial No. 526.299. (No modeLl propellers B B. A fixed inclined aeroplane O intersects the exterior of the hull A at an angle t0 its longitudinal axis, being higher at the forward end. It extends beyond the hull A in front, in rear, and on each side. A fixed vertical equilibrium-partition D extends longitudinally above the front part of the inclined aeroplane C and also above the hull of the air-ship along its central line as far as its rear end. From the rear of this partition and from the rear end of the hull, extending above and back of the inclined aeroplane, is the vertical equilibrium-partition D. Below the forward part of the inclined aeroplane and extending forward from the front end of the hull is the equilibrium-partition D2. At the front end of the partition D is the vertical rudder DB, which is controlled by suitable tiller chains or ropes d, running over pulleys to the hull A.

' On each side of the ship, above and below the fixed inclined aeroplane O, is an upright equilibrium-partition E, preferably located at or about the outer edge of the inclined aeroplane C and parallel with the partitions D D2. The upper and lower edges of the partitions are preferably in the same planes as the top and bottom of the hull. They are stiened by posts or battens e. Along the lower edges of the side equilibrium-parti-` tions and also on each side of the bottom of the hull are yielding supports for the air-ship to rest upon when not in use. These are preferably constructed as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, each side partition having a bottom flange e', perforated at intervals to permit rods F to pass through. Rings or otherguides e2 keep the rods in place. The lower ends of the rods are fastened to a sill or foot G, and between this sill (or a shoulder f on the rod) and the iiange e/ are helical springs g, surrounding the rods F and aiording a yielding support for the ship. Similar sills, springs, and rods are provided along each side of the bottom of the hull.

The side equilibrium-partitions E are provided with a tier of outwardly extending equilibrium-partitions E', parallel with each other and projecting out from the partition E. These serve to maintain the permanency of position and equilibrium of the air-ship, resisting any rolling tendency. These up- IOC right and outwardly-extending equilibriumpartitions are designed to divide the current of air in order that the pressure of the atmosphere on either side may serve to aid in maintaining the equilibrium and increase the steadiness of the air-ship.

Along the upper edges of the central'and sidevpartitions D E are fixed the gas-receptacles H, the middle one'being preferably the longest. Each receptacle is divided into three compartments by means of transverse partitions 7L. The end compartments are all connected by pipes with a pump H', and the middle compartments are likewise connected with a pump H2. Whenever one end or one side of the air-ship becomes elevated above its normal and safe position, gas is pumped from the compartments at that end or that side of the ship into the compartments at the lower end or side, thereby restoring the equilibrium. The gas-receptacles may be made of elastic material, so as to expand when gas is pumped into them, and thus displace a greater volume of air, or they maybe made of rigid material with an expansible air-bag inside of each, as shown in Fig. 5. On each side of the partition 4h is a bag I, of flexible or elastic material, the mouth of which communicates by an opening 7L with the outer air. This bag acts as an elongated elastic diaphragm, inclosing at one end of the compartment the volume of gas contained therein, and it is capable of movement either inward or outward, according as the volu me of gas in the compartment is diminished or increased. This bag or diaphragm operates automatically. When gas is pumped out of the compartment, the air enters the opening and distends the bag, thereby taking up the space previously occupied bythe gas. 'When the gas is pumped in again,l the air is forced out of the bag by the pressure of the gas.

The wheels B B may all be driven by one tical transverse planes. The lifting propeller-wheels B' are preferably four in numberl and are arranged symmetrically in horizontal planes on either side of the longitudinal axis of the ship. They are preferably located in wells K, inserted in openings in the fixed inclined aeroplane C between the hull and the side partitions E. A level door k surrounds the top of each well, and an inclined section k, equal in width to the space between the hull and the side partition E, extends from the rear They revolve in ver-.

edge of the door down to the inclined aeroplane C. The iioor la and the section 7c insure a smooth surface for the passage of the air along the top of the ship. The wheels B are supported in suitable bearings and are connected with a suitable motor within the hull or are independently connected with individual motors. The prime function of these wheels is to assist in lifting the air-ship at the start and 'supporting it in the air until a high rate of For the purpose of suddenly checking the progress of the ship the blades L' may be turned into a vertical position. In addition to these a powerful brake is provided, consisting of a stout curtain M, of flexible material, which can be drawn up in a frame Nby means of cords fm, running over suitable pulleys to a drum m. The frame N stands upright just forward of the regulator L, and has rods n to support the curtain against the pressure of the air upon` its front surface. Cords m2 serve to draw down the curtain into the space between a double licor at the rear of the inclined aeroplane C. When raised, the curtain presents a large resistance to the air and rapidly retards the motion of the ship.

It will be understood that all parts of the ship are suitably braced to withstand strains. The bracing has not been fully shown because it would confuse the drawings and because it is a structural detail which any builder would expect to lintroduce without special instruction.

The method of operating my air-ship is as follows: The lifting-wheels are putin motion, supplementing the gas-receptacles in elevating the air-ship above the obstacles that might oppose its progress. Power is then applied to the driving-propellers. As the speed of the air-ship is increasedthe power applied to the lifting-wheels is gradually diminished, as the weight of the air-ship in addition to the lifting power of the gas employed will be largely supported by the pressure of the atmosphere against the inclined aeroplane when propelled forward rapidly.

The eect of the lifting-wheels will be greatly increased when the air-ship is moving rapidly by the pressure of the currents of air forced downward through the wheel- IDC IIO

wells against the surface of the powerful cur v rents of air passing beneath the inclined aeroplane on either side between the equilibriumpartitions and the sides of the hull. The pressure of these confined currents of air against the under surface of the inclined aeroplane is greatly increased by the wedge-shaped forward part of the hull, which forces twice the quantity of opposing atmosphere into the adjacent narrow passages on each side of the hull.

The equilibrium-partitions D, D', D2, E, and E serve to give a steady normal equilibrium to the air-ship. Equilibrium is further maintained by using the air-pumps to elevate either side or end of the air-ship when unduly depressed.

In descending to the ground the power applied to the driving-propellers is gradually diminished while that applied to the liftingwheels is increased, and the curtain-brake M being brought into use the speed of the airship is gradually diminished while descending to the ground or station.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination with the hull of an airship, of a fixed inclined aeroplane, upright side equilibrium-partitions parallel with the hull and extending above and below said inclined aeroplane, wheel-wells in the inclined plane between the hull and the side partitions, horizontal lifting-wheels in said wells, and a driving-wheel below the inclined aeroplane at the front of the ship, substantially as described.

2. In an air-ship the combination of a hull A, a fixed inclined aeroplane C, a series of lifting-wheels located in wheel-wells extending through t-he air-ship, and one or more driving-propellers located in front of said hull beneath the forward part of said inclined aeroplane, with one or more driving-propellers located at the rear end of the hull above the rear part of said inclined aeroplane, substantially as described.

3. The combination with the hull of an airship, of a fixed inclined aeroplane, upright side equilibrium partitions parallel to the hull, wheel-wells in said inclined aeroplane between the hll and the partitions, oors k surrounding the wells, inclined sections k unitingsaid floors with the fixed inclined aeroplane, and horizontal lifting-wheels in said Wells, substantially as described.

4. In an air-ship, the combination of a hull A, a fixed inclined aeroplane C, a series of lifting propeller-wheels located in wheel-wells extending through the air-ship, and one or more dri ving-propellers, with the equilibriumpartitions E having the series of normally horizontal equilibrium-partitions E' extending outwardly therefrom, substantially as described.

5. In an air-ship, the combination of a series of lifting-wheels and one or more driving-propellers, with the curtain-brake M, and

means for rolling up said curtain more or less at will, substantially as described.

6. In an air-ship, the combination with the hull, of a iiXed inclined aeroplane, upright side equilibrium-partitions parallel with said hull, guides on said partitions, rods sliding in said guides, a sill fastened to the lower ends of said rods, and helical springs between said sill and the lower edge of the side partition, substantially as described.

7. In an air-ship, a brake consisting of anupright frame and a flexible curtain adapted to be raised and lowered in said frame, substantially as described.

8. In an air-ship, abrake consisting of an upright frame, a Iiexible curtain adapted to be raised and lowered in said frame, cords for operating said curtain, and a drum to which said cords are connected, substantially as described.

9. In an air-ship, the combination of a series of lifting-wheels located in wheel-wells, extending through the air-ship and one or more driving-propellers, with one or more elongated gas-receptacles, attached longitudinally above the air-ship, substantially as described.

10. In an air-ship, the'combination with the hull, of a fixed inclined aeroplane, a central upright equilibrium-partition, two vertical side equilibrium-partitions, and a gas-receptacle secured to the upper edge of each partition, substantially as described. v

1l. In an air-ship, gas-receptacles divided into compartments,pipes connecting said compartments, and one or more pumps connected with said pipes, whereby the volume of gas in any compartment can be changed, substantially as described.

12. In an air-ship, a longitudinal gas-receptacle divided by transverse partitions, and means for transferring gas from one end to the other of said receptacle, whereby the equilibrium of the ship may be controlled, substantially as described.

13. In an air-ship, parallel longitudinal gasreceptacles located on either side of the ship, and pumps for transferring gas from one to the other, substantially as described.

14. In an air-ship, the combination with two or more gas-receptacles divided by two transverse partitions, of pipes, connecting the end compartments, a pump connected with said pipes, and a pump connected with the middle compartments, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD PAYSON JOHNSTUN.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM O. TRAsK, D. P. SAUNDERS.

ICL

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